


Just A Rather Very Intelligent Successor

by aereandria



Series: Snaps of Inspiration (that are unfortunately not related to my current works) [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Tony Stark, BAMF Tony's Sister, F/F, F/M, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Manipulative Nick Fury, Nobody messes with a Jarvis' Stark, The Jarvis' had a daughter, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23796568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aereandria/pseuds/aereandria
Summary: If Tony had a champion... like Bucky had Steve. Someone who would put him above anything else.  I think we can all agree that things would've turned out very differently.or other wordsA world where the Jarvis' do manage to have an heir and the changes this brings on the universe.
Series: Snaps of Inspiration (that are unfortunately not related to my current works) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714474
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	1. The Price of Arrogance

Fury hated when he didn’t know something. He hated it even more when he missed something. And that’s what was staring at him, something no, _someone_ he missed. Well missed is not the right word. Underestimated. Glossed over. Dismissed. Thought _unimportant._

To be precise it wasn’t that they had gone totally unnoticed, it was more that they had thought they knew everything they needed to know so in SHIELD's arrogance that no one could hide anything from them they had filed them away. A person of interest but rather unextraordinary in the grand scheme of things.

Those were the words that came to mind when one met Mireya Goldsun. Other than the fact that she worked for one of the most powerful men in the world and her loyalty was unshakeable, there was really nothing truly amazing about her unless one counted that she must have the patience of a saint to be able to put up with Tony Stark. She never really created to many waves as she floated and flitted behind the scenes with Stark’s enigmatic reputation taking most of the attention and heat. Of course SHIELD had investigated her, curious if she may be available to be headhunted or something of the sort.

Mireya Goldsun had been born to ordinary parents, a banker and an accountant. She was a gifted child so it wasn’t long until she made tracks and was bestowed a scholarship at MIT. This was presumably where she and Stark met as they both lived in the some boarding house. She completed a double degree in business and medicine with many offers however she never deviated when Stark offered her a place at his side. SHIELD also sent out feelers and found she had been head hunted by Stark’s competitors and others who were interested in a having the inside track on SI. Interestingly, there was a quiet wake of destruction in all these business. Just small things but enough to get the message across, _I am loyal to Stark don’t mess with him_. So while acknowledging her skills in business and her cut-throat protective instincts in relation to Stark, they had dismissed her leaving her a footnote in Stark’s file as he evidently cared about her.

But now Fury had just watched her take down the Black Widow without breaking a sweat and he hadn’t even made her as she had entered the room. So here he was standing here with a gun to his head cursing and also realising that Stark and Goldsun, if that was who she was, had pulled one over them.

“So you’re Director Fury, I have to say I am not impressed.”

“I told you the Space Pirate was no fun Reyrey,” Stark smirked.

“Okay why don’t we all calm down,” Fury asked while gesturing with the universal don’t shoot symbol while also sending Romanoff a desperate glance however she seemed to still be out.

“You’re in no position to be giving orders Mr Fury.” Goldsun arched a brow at him “You and your friend, the _assassin,_ have broken so many laws in approaching Tony it's not funny.”

“It's kind of funny my sun. I mean thy could have just _asked_ for an appointment.”

Goldsun smirked, “Yes well spies aren’t always ones for the simply and direct route Tones. They always have to have the upperhand. And in your driving need to be in the superior position Fury, you have had an agent come into SI under a false identity, commit corporate espionage and violate privacy and confidential contracts she signed by planting spyware and also, of course, attack Mr Stark.” The woman grinned in vicious delight “I hope you like lawsuits”

“Now, now, my Rey of sun, my only sunshine, maybe the mean old Pop-Eye had a reason for it?”

Fury felt the banter was more a play-act then anything as the woman squinted at him thoughtfully with amusement glinting in her eye. “Well Fury explain. Tones is being generous”

Fury could felt sweat drip done his back. “We were scouting Ironman for his appropriateness for the Avengers Initiative.”

This earned a very unimpressed look.“We know about your super secret boy band Fury. That still doesn’t explain all the cloak and dagger. Or the literally _stabbing.”_ The last word said with such venom that a lesser man would've flinched. 

Fury had a feeling they already knew why they were here and what they had been trying to do and they were testing him. At least that’s what he would do if he had all the answers.

“We had circumstantial intel that Stark’s reactor may be causing him to become ill. We had no proof just speculation so Rushman was sent to investigate. She gave a solid evidence only a day or so ago that the reactor was poisoning Stark. That’s what the injection was for, lithium dioxide to take the edge of heavy metal poisoning. We came to offer materials that Howard Stark left with us before he died that may aid in finding an alternate element.”

Both of them snorted.

“Wow there’s so many things wrong with that I don’t where to start.” Stark pondered bemusedly. 

Fury threw a glare at the billionaire “Start by thanking me Stark. Whatever’s in those boxes could likely save your life, not to mention that syringe will likely give you at least a day’s reprieve.”

Goldsun pressed the gun’s muzzle in harder. “You know its really funny but I spoke to Agent…Coulson I believe about SHIELD returning all of that bastard’s things as anything of Howard’s and any research/creations/inventions he did would be Tony’s. He **assured** me that anything of Howard’s had been returned on Howard’s deathbed in 1991. I also told Coulson that if anything that was Stark or SI property being used or kept without permission then SI will sue to the full extent of the law. Tones I believe keeping intellectual property after a will has been read is theft right? So no Mr Fury Tony will not be _thanking_ you for this elaborate yet poor attempt at manipulation.”

Fury’s eye narrowed as he glared at her. “Oh do you deny that’s what you trying to do? Rather than give these materials straight to Tony when you had an inkling he might be unwell, you sat on them. You then illegal infiltrated his company while also picking up what ever golden eggs he had lying around. Waste no want not right? The golden goose might die so he won't even know. When he is obviously spiralling that’s when you sweep in with your magical cure and secret notes. Not to save the day but so that Tony will feel indebted to you.”

“And that’s where you miscalculated” Goldsun glared at him “We’ve always known Howard had started up SHIELD along with Peggy Carter so we’ve always been watching you. We have to say _we are not impressed_.”

“And for the record Morpheus I am not dying.”

Fury’s expression must have betrayed his surprise as Stark shrugged with a smirk. “Hey you guys wrote the narrative we just embellished it”

Fury almost groaned. They were in their systems it seems and they had read the initial reports and the suspicions and it seemed they had ran with it. Again their arrogance had blinded them as both Coulson and Romanoff had seen exactly what they had expected to see. A spoiled billionaire spiralling from oncoming death sentence not a crafty genius who had used that arrogance and premade assumptions to beat them at their own game. 

"Here's what is going to happen Fury. You are going to be hit with so many lawsuits its going to make your head spin because nobody treats my Tones like you did. If SHIELD makes it out after SI finishes raking it over the coals then you will not come near Mr Stark or any of his holding for the rest of your existence. And I will make what I did to the little spider look like child's play. Am I understood?!" She glared down at him coldly. 

Fury had met powerful women. and men too. But no one had scared him as much as Carol Danvers. Who could literally destroy spaceships and walk away without a scratch. He had been glad to see the back of her when she took her mission intergalatic. But here he was staring into the eyes of Stark's assistant (he was starting to doubt that designation) and feeling true fear once again that the likes of Danvers had only evoked. But he had his pride despite the primal instinct that screamed at him that he not tangle with this women so he gritted out a reluctant "Understood". 

"Damn you're scary sometimes Reydar." Stark sighed with a fond smile which she sent back.

"You love it"

"That I do" Stark sighed and crouched in front of him sending a bit of confusion through him. An attempt to appease him maybe? "Look Red Pill, I despise your methods but your ideas? That we may need something to combat a bigger and global threat? That I can get behind. Ironically if you had approached me through the proper channels like every other company and alphabet soup agency that wants a consult I would've seriously considered your proposal. Now though...you've properly destroyed any chance that you might've had on collaborating on anything. That being said _if_ there is a world ending event you can still call us. And maybe we'll pick up."

It was a lifeline. Not a promise or anything of the sort but a statement that if something happened that they would help out. On their terms of course. Fury knew it was the best he was going to get as he and Romanoff were escorted out of the Malibu Mansion and then dumped several dozen kms away from the property. It was only once they were clear that Romanoff regained consciousnesses. Fury was almost amused if he wasn't feeling so drained and frustrated.

Natasha glanced around trying to realign her memories, which he was sure were confusing as she hadn't even seen who had taken her down. She could probably do with the knock to her ego. They all could he thought grimly. 

"Boss what happened? Where are we?" 

Fury sighed. "What happened Agent Romanoff is that we paid the price for our arrogance. What happened is that we miscalculated, significantly, and its going to cost us."


	2. A Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mireya Jarvis is born.

Edwin and Ana Jarvis had always wanted a child. They struggled when many attempts came up fruitless and they weren’t getting any younger. They were about set to give up altogether when it occurred. A miracle Ana would later call it for they later found out Ana had a condition that made it very difficult to get pregnant, if at all. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy either but on April 22nd 1969 Mireya Orla Jarvis was born. The Jarvis’s were overjoyed by their new addition and their joy was echoed by their friends and employers the Starks.

It wasn’t long before little Mireya was joined in the nursery by the Stark heir, Anthony Edward. Edwin didn’t know what he was expecting when he introduced the two children. Mireya was a curious little shadow with a mischievous spirit. He would tease his little girl that she was like the cheeky fairies or pixies they read about, creating something wonderful or funny then vanishing. His little girl adored this comparison. Anthony ‘Tony’ Stark was the complete opposite to his miracle, a boisterous little boy that was only made louder by his undeniable intellect. He loved the boy like a son and hoped that both the children that were important to him would be able to get along.

He left them in the nursery with a little trepidation as he went to attend his duties for Mr Stark. Edwin didn’t know what to expect when he returned a few hours later to bring the children their lunches but it certainly wasn’t the sight that greeted him. Both children were dressed as fairies surrounding by tools and junk as Tony worked on one of his inventions while Mireya held the piece he worked on still with an avid smile on her face dropping in her own opinions in as needed.

It wasn’t until he got home that Edwin realised the full weight of what transpired in that nursery.

“You seemed to like Tony, little one, I’m really happy about that” Edwin smiled down at her as she squiggled down into bed.

Mireya nodded with a smile. “I do. Tony’s mine Daddy.”

Edwin blinked. “What sweetheart?”

“He’s mine. Like Mr Stark is yours. Tony is mine. I’m going to take care of him.”

Edwin didn’t really know how to answer that. That he was only looking out for Howard for job. Yes they had become friends too but…

“I know Mr Stark is yours Daddy but I’m not going to let him make Tony sad anymore. I’m sorry if this will make things hard for you.”

“Honey Mr Stark loves Tony, like I love you”

Mireya pouted, “Maybe but he doesn’t show it proper. And that’s what really matters.”

“I guess it does.” Edwin he said slowly not blind to his employers faults


	3. Uh-oh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time skip - Betrayal at SI?

_*****many years later***** _

Mireya didn’t like it. Something wasn’t adding up with the reports and then she had heard murmurs of weapons, _Stark_ weapons, being available on the black market. Her contacts had thought her naive when she didn’t believe it, as if she didn’t know Tony better than he knew himself. That right this moment he was currently working on several ground breaking designs for different areas so SI could finally break away from the weapons making that Howard had set up. That making weapons and continuing what Howard’s narrow minded view of the company should be despite his genius tasted like ash to Tony. 

No it wasn’t Tony that had done this. But someone had **betrayed** them.

Mireya pursed her lips as she pondered potential suspects. Pepper, the typhoon of a personal assistant that Tony had hired, could’ve done it. She had the access, the opportunity but the motive? Working for Tony long-term despite the headaches would be significantly more advantageous for her than betraying him. But then people weren’t always rational and Tony was the definition of a nightmare boss; eccentric billionaire, wild playboy, and mad genius all wrapped up in a sarcastic and egotistical package.

Mireya pondered it but couldn’t see it but she had no proof that the woman who was one of her best friends _wasn’t_ involved.

Rhodey. Rhodey also had the access and the opportunity and possibly the contacts via his military career. But the man was a patriot so Mireya couldn’t see it. And she doubted he would betray Tony so drastically, they were almost like brothers. Still he would have to remain on the list until evidence said otherwise.

Obadiah. Mireya felt her expression darken. Oh there was someone she could see doing something this low. She had never liked the man Howard had brought in. Working with Tony she had found she liked him less and less. He was the sort of person that tasted blood in the water and went for the kill. Knowing Tony for so long meant Stane knew all the soft spots to poke at and how to manipulate him to do what he wanted. It was why the weapons were still being sold. If Tony had had his way, he would’ve shut down SI’s weapon manufacturing and reinvented the company’s image from the ground up. He was still doing that but with a softer approach, as he had slowly been bringing in other departments and had been phasing out the weapons. Unfortunately the military contracts were the last thing to go and were hard to wiggle out of without fanfare. 

Mireya consider some of the board members but some of information wasn’t available to them. She mused that they may be looking at more than one person. If a board member had a few more people strategically placed in SI then theoretically this could be pulled off. Although Mireya loathed the idea of not just one betrayal but multiple she sort of hoped it was that. A stranger. Not one of these three.

She snapped the folder shut and marched off. She had people to investigate. More importantly she had to protect Tony from this. If it _was_ one of the three she would burn them all to the ground and make them realise that a Jarvis is something to fear. Especially when their Stark is threatened.

* * *

Officially Mireya didn’t really have a title at SI. If there was such a position as Tony’s stand-in/bodyguard/nurse and all-around minder then that was her. Most people didn’t understand her loyalty to Tony but then not many people knew their history. Tony and her had decided to keep her real identity on the down-low. It had worked out well as people thought her loyalty was based on Tony’s money or his looks and they weeded out of lot unsavoury people that tried to get to Tony via her.

Stane was also not in the know and had also attempted so subtle tactics to sway the efficient lady to his side of SI. No doubt hoping she would act as Tony’s leash for him and guide him towards more appropriate creations.

To the world she was Mireya Goldsun, right hand of Tony Stark. (The name was Tony’s joke as he often called her My Rey; My ray of sun. She humoured him with the terrible pun). The exact relationship between her and the billionaire was unknown but tabloids speculated heavily that they were involved. _Gross._ Tony was her baby brother that she protected from the big bad world. If Tony would let her she would burn every untrue thing printed about him to the ground without a regret. Other than that her background was mostly a mystery despite efforts to find out otherwise. People did know that she was a Doctor in her own right and presumed that her and Tony met at MIT like how he had met Rhodes. Mireya preferred it that way. She had secrets that she would rather stayed only between her and Tony.

An alarm on her phone reminded she needed to go see Tony off as he was due in Afghanistan. The stupid weapons demo that Stane had talked (strong-armed cough) him into. Mireya felt conflict rise within her. She really didn’t want Tony to go, not until she knew what was going on at SI or more importantly _who_ was. It made her uneasy that Stane had organised this trip too. Rhodes was going too she remembered, that was something at least.

* * *

Arriving at the Mailbu house that she resided in with Tony, she inquired, “JARVIS is Tony here?”

“Sir is in the lab at the moment Miss. Should I let him know you are here?”

“No I’ll go down. Thanks though”

Most people would think it was weird to have an AI of her father. When Tony had come to her with the concept she had been taken aback yes but moved that it was Edwin that Tony wanted to make this tribute to. In your face Howard.

Besides although JARVIS was modelled on her father, at the end of the day he wasn’t her father. He was his own, well, being. That just happened to bear the same name and a similar voice to her father. JARVIS knew who she was of course. As the AI had grown he had questioned her about her feelings regarding his apparent similarity to her father. He had become concerned he was making her uncomfortable. Sometimes it was so apparent in the AIs that Tony created that he was their father. They shared the same deep compassion and giving nature as him for she was certain if she had told JARVIS his voice or name made her sad he would have changed it just for her.

She walked into the lab that housed some of Tony’s finest creations. Unlike others she had unfettered access as she often needed to come down here and force Tony to tend to his basic needs. The man was terrible when he got to involved in a project.

The man himself was doing some fine metal work with large glasses on, muttering as DUM-E poked every now and then. He seemed unconcerned that he was currently wearing an Armani suit and in danger of damaging the thing. Mireya’s eyes went soft as they usually did when she saw her boys. She saw all Tony’s children as her extended family. Shaking her head she gestured to JARVIS’s camera, a sign they had worked out over the years, to take a photo. Tony obviously noticed movement and muttered, “I’m going Obie, I’m going.”

“No rush Tonesy”

Tony’s head snapped up and a smiled burst onto his face as he shoved the glasses off. “My Rey, my sun, my golden ray of sunshine”

Mireya rolled her eyes in fondness as she pulled the idiot in for a hug. “What are you working on?” gesturing to the tiny mess of wires.

Tony beamed, “it’s a the first neural interface, I’m trying to get it to work with the prothetics we developed. Imagine moving your arm or leg with no lag, just like it was your own?! That’s the idea anyway. I’m thinking if it works then we expand to maybe seeing if we can do something with like PTSD and other trauma based mental illnesses. Well” he sighed “when we do finally roll out everything”

“We can do it whenever you want Tones. You’re the one who wanted to ride out the end of the stupid contract Howard made with the Military.”

Tony grimaced and nodded “I know. I know.” he rubbed his hair in frustration. “Maybe we can push forward a but more aggressively when I get back? Cut down to bare minimum with the military. I just…”

“I know Tones, its hard to balance everything. And we can certainly do that.”

Tony nodded absent-mindedly as he patted Dum-E who was whizzing between the two like an excited child. “So are you just here to see me off and drag me to the plane?”

“Yes and no”

“ _U_ _h-oh_ ”

“What's uh-oh”

“You have your search and destroy face on”

“I do not.”

“Yes you do. I know that face. Last time I saw that face Tiberius Stone left in an ambulance for a testicle retrieval operation.”

Mireya smirked. Serves that bastard right. No-one tries to emotionally abuse her brother. 

“Ahhhhhnnnnd there’s your evil villain smirk. So yes I say _uh-oh_ and who’s funeral am I planning?”

Mireya’s face fell as she handed over the reports she had dug up. Tony didn’t like being handed things so she slide it across the table. It wasn’t necessary as Tony would take it from her. Her being one of the only people in the world he would let hand things to him but she knew it still made him feel better not having to accept it.

Tony quirked a brow at her and her sudden serious demeanour as he picked up the file and started scanning it at record speed. Tony’s ability to speed read was one of the few things she was legitimately envious of, it would make her job just so much quicker. Tony’s countenance grew grimmer with each page until he finally slammed it down.

“Dammit, fuck! I should’ve ended that stupid weapons contract as soon as I took power. I should’ve just done it and fuck the consequences, fuck the stock, fuck the board, fuck dad and Obie. Because then this wouldn’t have happened. Christ who knows where our weapons are now, with terrorists, drug dealers, the mafia, every fucking bad guy that we were supposed to be saving the world from.”

Mireya just let Tony vent, knowing he needed to get it off his chest. She played scissors paper rock with Dum-E for a few rounds until Tony finally exhausted himself.

Tony looked down at the file with disgust. “Do we know who it is?” There was an edge of desperation to his voice. Mireya knew it was probably because he has seen that 2 of the three main suspects were people he trusted. People he cared for. People he thought were friends.

“Not specifically as you read. Pepper, Rhodes and Stane all had access to the needed information. Also all had the authority to do something with that info.”

Tony looked at her, silently asking.

“Motive though? Well Pepper and Rhodes have no discernible one. No secret skeletons or vendettas and I had **J** not just look but _look_.”

Which means JARVIS had ignored all privacy and confidentially laws and gone deep. And found nothing. So unless it was some deeply buried personal grudge never voiced or simply the money then it was not there.

“Stane though. A few shady things in that man’s background. Some rather suss looking associates that even I didn’t know he had. He has motive, if you die the company would go back to him or so he thinks as he doesn’t know about me. And let’s be honest he’s always been a slimy snake.”

Tony snorted, “You never did like him Rey.” He sighed, “We need solid proof.”

“Which I will get. First Stane, then if we strike out. I will look again at Potts and Rhodes. Then the board members.”

Tony nodded. “What about the demo? Should I cancel?”

Mireya pursed her mouth. If they cancelled it would look suspicious as this thing had been in the works for months. It would probably better if Tony went but Mireya had major bad vibes about the trip.

“I don’t know. It feels like you're walking into a trap but that may be just that be because we found this info. But at the same time…”

“It would be weird to cancel and could tip our hand”

"So I don’t know Tones. Honestly I’d rather alert Stane than put you in danger.”

Tony gazed at her, but his eyes were far away. Mireya knew this gaze, he was calculating the odds and percentages and scenarios at lightening speed.

“I’ll go”

“But Tones- “

He made a staying gesture. “I'll take precautions.”

Mireya sighed knowing he had made his decision and he was a stubborn bastard so there was no talking out of it. “Fine. GPS trackers. JARVIS on the phone. You stay with Rhodey all the time. You are taking a gun we made and the stunners. And of course if anything happens I will tear that stupid country apart and burn them all while I look for you. Obadiah will also find out what it means to be ‘fired’ from SI.”

Tony smiled down at her with affection. “Like I said _uh-oh_ ”

Mireya smirked evilly “ _uh_ _-oh_ ”


	4. Tesseract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time skip - kids will be kids  
> Tony and Mireya get up to some mischief as children are wont to do.

**_***Tony and Mireya's Childhood***_ **

The years rolled on and Edwin soon realised that his daughters words weren’t a childish whim but a pact. Soon the two were inseparable, racing around the Mansion and Jarvis’ attached cottage, laughing like loons. Mireya kept Tony company during his exploits into deep tech binges, she reminded him to eat and sleep, she was one to draw him out and make him do something ridiculous like dancing in the rain with the fairies. Which Tony denies to this very day. In turn Mireya became Tony’s sun, his inspiration and muse, he no longer sort Howard’s approval but Mireya’s.

It didn’t stop Mireya’s disapproval of Mr Stark when his hold over her friend no longer became so consuming. She knew that this man was her father’s boss and due to him she was getting a fine education and a very nice place to stay. She was grateful of course. But gratitude for someone’s actions didn’t negate that Mr Stark was an arsehole (a bad word she heard one of the guards say but an apt comparison) and a terrible father. Tony had been seeking approval less and less from Mr Stark but it was always something that he wanted, craved. At the same time he knew he would probably never get it. Privately Mireya knew it was because the old man was jealous, she had seen it when he chucked out Tony’s creation. A flash of envy and desolation, envy of how easy it was and how much smarter his son was and despair at realising he would become obsolete a lot faster that he imagined. Outdone by his own son. Rather than embracing the legacy they could build together, Howard let his ego rule his actions and he clung to his last great triumphant.

Captain America.

Mireya did not like hating someone without knowing them least of all a dead man but Captain America’s legend had hurt her friend more than any Nazi or bad guy ever had. She realised he was merely a weapon that Howard like using on Tony, it didn’t stop the irrational urge to punch the Great American hero whenever she saw him, that included ripping his face out of her school history textbook.

Frustration built and built until children did what children do and that is create mischief. Combined with Tony’s need to prove something to Howard and Mireya’s need to protect Tony and simultaneously crush the man who posed as his sperm donor the following actions were likely inevitable, ill-advised of course, but inevitable.

Breaking into Howard’s lab, a place they were forbidden to go especially Tony, was easier than they expected. Mireya put it down to arrogance and also Tony was just that good. They didn’t really have a plan per say once they were in but they poked around. Mireya could see Tony’s hand twitching with the desire to pick some of the unfinished work up and tinker but he was restraining himself. They wandered further in drawn to the second room which is where they both gasped. It was hard not too. In the centre, a pulsing blue cube was suspended by a mechanical apparatus. The otherworldly light lit up the dark room with its glow that seemed to pulsate in brightness like a heart beat almost.

They both wondered over to face the cube thing with awe etched on their face.

“What is it?” Tony breathed his eyes trying to calculate and draw conclusions. His gaze wondered to the notes that Howard had obviously been making.

Mireya remembered the stories her Daddy had told about fairies and magic. That it was alive and sometimes things with magic were alive in a way. 

“What are you?” she whispered to the stone to soft for Tony to hear not that he noticed absorbed in the notes.

Her eyes widened like saucers as a blue tendril reached out almost hesitantly towards her. She also reach up too, hand trembling.

_I am Space. I am the Tessaract._

“Hi Space Tessaract, I’m Mireya Jarvis and this is Tony Stark”

By now Tony was staring at Cube and her. “You’re talking to it?” he gasped. She nodded with a grin. “Woah…”Tony looked at it helplessly “Do you think dad made it?”

Mireya knew that question was driven from insecurity because if so how would he catch up?

Space, Mireya could only described it, as laughed

_The mortal man did not make me. He tries to understand me but fails. I am ancient, older than this world itself._

“So you really are magic?” Mireya asked excited after conveying Space’s answer. Tony scoffed.

_In a way. I am an essential aspect of the universe encapsulate within a stone._

Mireya didn’t get it, not so certain if this proved her bet with Tony that magic was real or not. Tony though seemed to understand. And seemed to look at the cube with new light.

“You mean when you introduced yourself it wasn’t that your name is Space. You _are_ Space”

_This mortal is smarter than the taller one the looks like him at least._

Mireya tilted her head. “So you could go anywhere?”

Tony looked at the cube practically vibrating “Theoretically anywhere or any-when. If you control the fabric of space, you could go to the moon, even other galaxies.”

The immenseness of what they had found sitting in Howard’s lab shocked her to the bone. And it had been so easy to get in.

“Why are you still here then Space?”

_I can not wield my own power except in defence. I must be wielded by another. Besides where to go? My siblings and I exist to balance the forces of life's aspects in the universe. We tumble from place to place from planet to planet ushering in chaos or change with our presences. That is life after all. Chaos and change._

“You have family?” Mireya looking at the cube wondering if his brother was prism…

“You heard Space. Aspects of the universe. I’m betting that another is Time. Hmm and to be able to make things out of nothing? Mirage. No Reality. To change reality itself…” Tony kept mumbling about no matter came from nothing and the impossibility of it all.

 _Yes, I have five. I haven’t seen them in a millenia. I hate to say it but its never a good reason when we are reunited. *laugh* Oh he is a smart one, and very quick. No wonder you claimed him. I can see why my only sweet sister favours him even from afar._

***

They were both so engrossed speaking to Space that neither of them heard Howard’s entry to the lab nor his furious stalk to the lab when he heard voices. Believing there were intruders Howard shot first deciding to ask questions later as he couldn’t take any chances with the Tesseract in his possession.

It happened in a blink of an eye yet it seemed to happen in slow motion. Mireya remembered throwing herself on Tony the minute something felt wrong. She was still connected to Space though via the tendril of blue and the bullets hit that as well as heading towards her. Mireya remembered what Space said. He couldn’t use his powers unless in defence. A wall of blue slammed out into her through her hand that was still connected. The bullets nanoseconds away from her, from Tony disappeared. The blue burned through her and out around her as it discerned that there were no more threats. Space slowly disengaged from her and she mourned the loss but then she realised, he was still there. She could feel the blue fire burning in her heart still.

She heard Space’s parting whisper _a gift for you little fairy. Stay kind through all of space little one._


	5. Growing up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continued from previous chapter - Tony and Mireya grow up  
> Mireya finds out a special something that Space left for her.

The resounding fall out from the lab break in was epic. Grounding, restrictions, no sweets. Tony and Mireya both agreed that meeting a ancient sentient magic stone had been totally worth it though. Tony was still arguing about the magic. Stubborn Tony was when something threatened his tech and maths certainty.

Howard of course was both worse and better. Worse in that he was completely beside himself with fury at them both for not only showing him up by getting into his lab (cough too easy loser, were you drunk again when setting the alarm or not setting?) but also that they obviously made some sort of progress with the alien device. And they wouldn’t tell him what. Oh they told him they had been poking at the blue glowy cube but Howard had always been good at detecting bullshit and he knew something wasn’t being said. Mireya thinks he wanted to put them in an interrogation room with light shining at their face and scream at them but although an employee of his, Edwin Jarvis had also been someone he respected and he back down at her dad's silent insistence.

Howard was better for his private research was deemed unsafe after he was visited by Agent Carter of SHIELD. Apparently Howard wasn’t even ‘technically’ supposed to have removed the Tessaract from the premises but it had been overlooked for at least Stark had been getting somewhere, plus he was also a founder of the organisation. Agent Carter gave her old friend a reprimand and repossessed the cube. It also meant Howard was at the SHIELD labs more than at home. Mireya felt a little guilty as Maria Stark clearly missed her husband but the house hold was so much brighter in his absence that she couldn’t really feel bad for long.

Tony and Mireya were sad to see the stone leaving but she recalled the stone’s ambivalence to its place in the world and wondered if maybe they would see it again. Tumbling right into their lives perhaps as it said. Besides it wasn’t totally gone. Mireya had gone to bed that night after the incident and mentally nudged the blue flame that Space had left her. She had opened her eyes to stare in the mirror to see blue circling her body in en ethereal dance, it extended from her back in four points. Like fairy wings she thought bemusedly. Tony and her would have fun with this, that was for sure.

It was through this whole debacle that Mireya and Tony met Agent Carter officially. Daddy had told her about their adventures together but she was really busy with SHIELD so they hadn’t really gotten to know her. Plus Howard and her seemed to have a relationship that blew hot and cold. Howard would do something borderline and Carter would then not speak to him for a while. The last cold streak seemed to have gone on for at least a year by the sounds of it.

In Aunt Peggy Mireya found a role model, especially when she punched Howard in the nose for being lax with lab security; _you have a child Howard! A curious smart child, who is going to be child and get into things that is not that wisest so as an adult you need mitigate potential disasters with prevention measures like lab security!_

Mireya took to combat lessons like a duck to water and when Peggy had nothing left to teach her and Tony she harassed her father for a teacher in martial arts. Both her and Tony continued as it was decided the Tony needed to know how in case of potential kidnappings.

School came upon them and Howard got petty and tried to send Tony off to a boarding school. A Boys boarding school. Mireya could be petty to. And although dressing up as a boy appealed to her and her inner mischief it wasn’t a realistic one despite her love of a Twelfth Night and The Lioness by Tamora Pierce. Soon enough Mireya was a student of a girls boarding school too that was conveniently across the road from the boys school. Funny how Howard hadn’t mentioned that.

The years rolled on and Tony was admitted to MIT at the tender age of fourteen. Mireya was smart but not that smart so for the first time since childhood they separated. Well sort of. By this time Mireya could fly and teleport thanks to her gifts from space. She visited Tony frequently without their families knowing, he regaled her with stories and together they met James Rhodes, the unflappable man on his way to the military, on one of their weekends out. He instantly became one of them, however he constantly thought she lived near by not several states away. School finally finished and she was ready for the next stage in her life.

She was all set to move when it happened. Her mother passed away due to an illness. She had always been a frail person and the pregnancy hadn’t help. The shock of her sudden death drove Edwin into a heart attack. Both her and Tony remained vigilant at his bedside but it seemed that he had lost the will to live. Or according to the nurses. Mireya had raged and sobbed on Tony’s chest, why she cried why wasn’t she enough? Weren’t they both enough for him to want to live?

It was a hard day when they had to say good bye for both Tony and her had lost parents. Both of them had felt abandoned. Mireya had been reluctant to move in with Tony, hesitant to accept his kindness and money but now she couldn’t imagine going any where else. So she joined him in his studio apartment after getting in for a double degree in business and medicine. She had pondered hard about what to actually do as a profession. She would have liked to go into something to research more about space, like Tony she had never forgot the encounter with the actually entity of that aspect. However she really was not mathematically inclined. So she thought about what she could see herself doing. What she might like to do.

She always saw herself with Tony. That was a fact. Helping him, supporting him, caring for him. To be with Tony who was heir to the Stark mantle meant she needed to understand the talk, she needed to know what was going on around Tony. Although she had a feeling she would hate it business was decided on. Again caring for Tony was second nature. Caring for people was her nature. So medicine. She snuck in music and dance electives when ever she could, along with her martial arts that she had never given up, so she was quite limber and moved with a grace that was hard to find.

During her first year there Tony had his first break through in the field of artificial intelligence. DUM-E was created as like her Tony had never gotten over a sentient cube. The child-like intelligence was adorable especially after Tony recalibrated its strength so that it wasn’t tossing him across his lab by accident. Mireya teased him endlessly with parent jokes as there was no other way to see the little robot as Tony’s child.

It had been when she was playing with the AI that she recalled Space’s word’s about his siblings. Despite her and Tony’s debates about life’s aspects they hadn’t been able to pinpoint the other three. But staring at the AI that was clawing at her Mireya realise she knew one of Space’s siblings. **_Soul._** For what are you doing when attempting to create life but trying to make a soul? Which Tony had done she thought with a laugh, this was what Space meant when one of his siblings favoured him. And would likely do so again.

Mireya let her blue tendrils rush out and caress the little machine. Carefully she ventured further in and caressed the very code that made DUM-E himself in what could pass as a virtual hug. The little AI let out a low long boop that sounded like a sigh and the claw reached up awkwardly and patted her cheek. She giggled “Love you to Claw”

Unfortunately things cannot always be smooth sailing. For just when Tony was deciding to go further into school, tragedy struck. Howard and Maria both died in a car crash. Mireya had conflicting feelings while standing at the grave dressed in drab black. She wouldn’t miss Howard, he had never appreciated the gift that was his son, her friend, her Tony. He had only gotten worse without her father there to run interference. She supposed she was sorry he was dead. She was sorry what his death was doing to her Tony. But most of all she was sorry that Tony would never be able to prove his father wrong, prove that he was smarter, better than him.

She was of course sad about Maria. She would miss her. Despite her terrible taste in men Maria had been the bright spark in the Stark household. The heart in the hearth.

Things starting changing quickly after that for Tony was expected to take a bigger role in Stark Industries. Although he couldn’t technically take the mantle until 21, he needed to start leaning his responsibilities. Obadiah Stane would be taking control until then. Mireya didn’t like the man, he was one of Howard’s cronies that he had taken on board when he hadn’t wanted to do too much of the day-to-day stuff. Stane, however, had no obvious loyalty to Howard which became apparent from the back hand slights he dealt the dead man from the get go and how quickly he switched to schmoozing Tony. Mireya conveyed her mistrust to Tony who echoed her concerns but unfortunately he could not do anything about Stane’s position. Mireya herself wouldn’t complete her degree at least until she was 21/22 so that wasn’t an option either. They could only monitor his doings in SI until then.

Tony didn’t like the idea of weapons either. There was no argument that it was a thriving business but it made him uncomfortable. Ever since he had been shot at he had held on to a low key fear of guns and bombs. He wanted people to like what he designed not feel horror.

Mireya encouraged Tony to work on things that would improve people's life. The army wouldn’t be happy about losing weapons but the alternative was always appreciated. Defensive armour, prosthetics for veterans and so on.

However Tony was apprehensive about making too large of a change. Howard's influence Mireya knew as Tony was worried about failing the company, ergo his father. They ended mocking up a business plan that would slowly phase out the weapons development and manufacturing. The only snag they encountered were the military contracts which guaranteed SI's supplying the US for a certain number of years. Tony realised breaking them would mean questions would be asked by the military, by the public. So for the time being it might be better to ride them out. Mireya wasn't totally on board but if this was Tony decided then this is what they would do. 


End file.
